Muhammad Ali: The People's Champion [Hardcover]

Walter Dean Myers (Author), Alix Delinois (Illustrator)

Book Description

Age Level: 5 and up | Grade Level: K and up

"I am America. I am the part you won't recognize. But get used to me. Black, confident, cocky; my name, not yours; my religion, not yours; my goals, my own; get used to me."

He was born Cassius Marcellus Clay, Jr., in Louisville, Kentucky. His very first boxing coach, former police officer Joe Martin, told him, "You better learn how to fight before you start challenging people." Once considered the underdog, Cassius, later known as Muhammad Ali, would eventually win the title of heavyweight champion of the world. Acclaimed author Walter Dean Myers recounts the champ's most famous fights and examines the depth and complexity of the larger-than-life legend Muhammad Ali. The bold, vibrant art of Alix Delinois reflects the beauty and power of the man who could "float like a butterfly, sting like a bee."

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

The curious mix of bravado and humility constituting the life of Muhammad Ali receives a sensitive exploration in this vibrantly illustrated biography. The quotes that cover the endpapers run the gamut, from his get used to me black pride to the more reflective words of his later years: God gave me Parkinson’s to remind me that I’m not the greatest. He is. Myers takes a snapshot approach, moving swiftly from Ali’s Kentucky childhood to his Olympic victory to his refusal to serve during the Vietnam War. The relative scarcity of pugilistic play-by-plays is purposeful; Myers sails through boxing milestones even as he lingers upon such events as Ali’s conversion to Islam. Delinois is with Myers every step, using wild splotches of paint and scribbles of chalk not only to capture the velocity of a punch but also fill in contextual blanks (Myers’ brief words on racism find a stronger counterpart in Delinois’ protester holding a sign reading No More Jim Crow Now). Unexpectedly far reaching, this is a Muhammad Ali for the thinking child. Grades 1-3. --Daniel Kraus

About the Author

Walter Dean Myers is the New York Times bestselling author of Monster, winner of the first Michael L. Printz award, and Harlem, a Caldecott Honor and Coretta Scott King Honor Book. The inaugural recipient of the Coretta Scott King-Virginia Hamilton Award for Lifetime Achievement, he is considered one of the preeminent writers for children. He lives in New Jersey with his family.

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 5 and up
  
• Hardcover: 40 pages
• Publisher: Collins; First Edition edition (December 29, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0060291311
• ISBN-13: 978-0060291310
• Product Dimensions: 11.2 x 9.3 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,477,281 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Walter Dean Myers is a New York Times bestselling and critically acclaimed author who has garnered much respect and admiration for his fiction, nonfiction, and poetry for young people. Winner of the first Michael L. Printz Award, he is considered one of the preeminent writers for children. He lives in Jersey City, New Jersey, with his family.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars excellent biographical picture book, February 6, 2010

By 

Phillip D. Kautz (brooklyn ny) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Muhammad Ali: The People's Champion (Hardcover)

this is a great picture book to introduce young readers to the long and complex life of a famous fighter and American.
the text is concise and the illustrations are vibrant. Delinois' visual style suits the subject (Ali) and is engaging for the reader.